At the centre of the cove is the Pilot Gig Club. It is based in the old lifeboat house for nearly 100 years before it closed in 1963. A board in the entrance to the Old Cellars lists the rescues carried out by the Cadgwith Lifeboat.

On most evenings from May to September the gig teams practice. There are open sessions on Sunday mornings, for anyone interested to join in.

Cadgwith Pilot Gig Club

News September 2009 Report by Rachel

First the good news.
Cadgwith U16s are County Champions! Congratulations to our Juniors, and to Jeb Preston, their coach. Jeb writes more elsewhere about this fine achievement and thrilling final. Our U14s have also had a great season, winning the hat trick of local events (Buller Day, Helford and Coverack).

And the bad news? Buller’s trailer is missing presumed stolen, from the Community Trust car park in Cadgwith sometime before 10th September. Any help with tracking it down obviously gratefully received. Rather a specific second hand market you would think, at least without severe modification!

Events: The last few months have been a busy time for the club. Unfortunately wet weather scuppered our two Wednesday evening BBQs this year, but Buller Day on 8th August was a sunny success. We were blessed with one of the few hot and dry days of mid-summer, and the gigs made a colourful scene in the cove, and it was a fitting opportunity for us to race our new boat Tamarisk. A dozen Cornish clubs attended, with everyone enjoying both the racing and the evening party. And just as importantly, everyone scoffed lots of burgers and drank much beer, thereby making a healthy contribution to our funds! Thanks to everyone who made it such a great day, helping with everything from cake baking to commentating, umpiring to unloading boats.

Results were: Vets : Falmouth, Cadgwith, Helford. U16s : Cadgwith, Helford, Truro. Mens A : Falmouth, Flushing & Mylor, Padstow – great close finish between these two crews. Ladies A : Falmouth, Newquay, Padstow. U14s : Cadgwith, Porthleven, Coverack. Mens B : Falmouth, Lizard Football Club (yes you read it right!), Newquay. Ladies B : Helford, Mounts Bay, Newquay.

Over the summer months, we’ve also held a couple of Friday night races, which gives us the chance to mix up the crews for some (generally!) friendly competition and good training practice. One annual event we’re pleased to continue, is Peter and Tony night, where we come together to race in memory of two Cadgwith fishermen lost at sea in 1994, and which this year concluded with a hearty sing song on the slip.

Further afield, our ladies A and B crews attended the County Championships at Newquay on 12th September, gaining places of 56th and 65th respectively, in a day of racing where deteriorating sea conditions stacked odds in favour of crews in the faster earlier heats. But such is Newquay! Our mens crews head up to Newquay on the 26th, and we wish them well for this the last race of the season.

Our new gig shed on land beyond the Community Trust car park is watertight and largely complete, and we’ll be looking to fundraise to finish elements such as electrics and internal boarding over the coming months. It’s a fantastic building which will stand us in good stead for many years, and will allow us to store and work on our gigs protected from the elements.

As the racing season draws to an end, we would like to thank everyone who has put so much into the club, whether it be as a rower, supporter, or fundraiser and in particular we would like to thank Danny Phillips, who has recently stepped down as Chair, for all that he has done for the Club over many years.

We have finished refurbishing our building (aided by a Heritage Lottery Grant), donations to funds are always welcome.

Our gigs are "Buller", "Socoa" "Rose of Cadgwith and Tamarisk"

The first of Cadgwith's gigs is the "Buller". "Buller" was built by the Devoran Shipwright, Ralph Bird in 1986. She is a copy of the famous gig "Treffry". She got her name from a local, Richard Redvers Arthur, otherwise known as Buller.

The second of the gigs came along in the form of "Socoa". Built in 1990 by John Moore of Mevagissey. "Socoa" was built as a sailing ship, but is now used for rowing. She was named after a French sailing ship that got stranded off the Cadgwith coast in 1907.

The 3rd of the Cadgwith gigs is dedicated in memory of two local Cadgwith fishermen, Tony Culmer and Peter Williams, whose fishing vessel, the "Karen Marie" sank off the Cadgwith Cove in 1994. The "Rose of Cadgwith" was built in 1994 and is currently the main racing gig of Cadgwith. Cadgwith commemorate the lives of Peter and Tony by holding races between the Cadgwith crews, the Peter and Tony races.

And in 2009 we have are new slightly lighter gig, TAMARISK, thank you to all who have helped pay for this and raised money, working hard, supporting fund raising, buying our goods: t-shirts posters etc, and a very big thank you to a certain couple who have given us a large sum.

A gig, or pilot gig, is a 32 feet long clinker-built rowing boat with six rowers and a cox. Although many new boats have been built in recent years, some have survived since the early 19th century and are still in use.

The original gigs were used to take pilots out to sailing ships as they approached the Isles of Scilly or coast of Cornwall. The first pilot aboard the ship got the job, so the gigs evolved into very fast seagoing rowing boats.

There are many gig clubs around Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Devon and there are even some overseas.